What will your next smartphone be? (Will it be a BB)?

1. it this way, if you had to type a 200 word email on a touchscreen only phone pressing glass or use a QWERTY keyboard, you don't honestly think carefully pressing glass would be as fast as thumbing keys, do you?

2. I make too many mistakes on virtual keyboards. Also I watch people type on them, they look soooo focused like they are doing surgery. Hold the phone in one hand, carefully use the index finger on the other hand to input each letter one by one.

Using the QWERTY keyboard, I often find myself using one hand hand and thumbing a message. Or if I want speed in a longer message, use both hands with two thumbs, soooo much faster, its not even close.

iPhone5 needs to take a page out of the EVO Shift, that is offer a slider keyboard and have the touch only model EVO! Otherwise its the same tired impractical design.

3. But consumers right now are brainwashed by not having QWERTY keyboards, as if they have some cutting edge tech. Virtual keyboards are too small on smartphones and its too slow to type on them. They are not bad on tablets though...

1. Here is where your mistaken. No one touches carefully. Use both thumbs and fire away, apples algorythm for correction is outstanding. You dont honestly beleive that people actually carefully looking for the letter to press do you? Its all done by hitting an aproximate location on the letter, and a week or two after, muscle memory takes it in and your a speed demon.

2. And as for this.... they are doing it wrong lol. The phones were design to be typed with thumbs and not a finger.

3. The virtual keyboard are not small, portrait iphone keyboard is just a tiny bit smaller then an average curve keyboard. And if you want it bigger, flip to landscape...BAM you got a nice keyboard there now, it does sure beats sliders .

Apple will never release a slider as it would be contredicting their moto of having one device for everybody and everything. And landscape sliders suck anyway, there is no big craze over them so its R&D money wasted.

People who thumb on touchscreens tend to make a ton of mistakes and their messages are barely readable.

I see almost everyone on touchscreens just using their one index finger with those on QWERTY using two thumbs moving a mile a minute. Why? You cannot FEEL a touch keyboard, makes it a bit sluggish to use for most people.

Whether or not you use portrait or landscape, it doesn't matter to me, I like the feel of an actual key. The best thing the iPhone does is sound effects so you get at least some sense of feel, where my Torch touch keyboard is silent.

Thats another thing, I have a phone with a touch and QWERTY keyboard, yet I almost never use the touch keyboard. I know the iPhone touch keyboard is better than the Torch, but any decent QWERTY keyboard kills even the best touch keyboards.

I agree with you on one thing though, Apple probably never will release a slider, even if it really is the true design to have a phone for everyone's tastes.

I want to see RIM fine tune the Torch design for future phones. To me, slider QWERTY keyboard, optional touch keyboard, touch screen, trackpad all into one phone is just flat out awesome...

For me it depends on what my carrier has when it's time to upgrade. I like a physical keyboard, but if I'm honest... for the amount of texting/messaging/emailing I do I don't need a physical keyboard. I don't really need a smartphone but it sure is nice. As to what I'll pick up? Well my carrier (Virgin Mobile Canada) has the HTC Incredible S that's looking good. If it had to be BB, they currently have the torch and the 9780 (I'd probably lean toward the bold over the torch, but that's with no hands-on time). Chances of me getting an iPhone are slim to none. I don't like the fact that everything seems so centralized around iTunes (Which I use only because I was given an iPod -- before that I used Winamp).

The next phone will be in the Fall for me. Unless RIM ceases making handheld devices another BB will be mine. No other platform performs as well for my purposes. Now with PB and BB the best of all worlds is in my hands.

For all those seeking some different experience good luck to you. For me BB reigns supreme. All the flash and glitter of Apple and Android are no substitute for dependable functionality IMHO.

I feel the same. I use my phone for business first and personal second. I have many other co workers that have tried different platforms and I find they have issues that I don't have doing my job. It is an excellent messaging device and that is first and foremost for me. Not everyone requires that level of reliability but I do and I can wait for the new BB to be released. If you need apps for games and other entertainment for your phone then maybe other platforms fit your needs.

I have a Torch and really like it. I don't plan on upgrading to one of the OS7 devices because they're a dead end. I would upgrade to a full screen QNX phone if they come out in 2012 and if they have competitive specs (dual-core processor, 1Gb RAM, resolution comparable to iPhone 4). Because I don't trust RIM to release a phone like that in 2012, I'll probably have to look elsewhere.

I'm sticking with my trusty Tour for the next year or so. Nothing out there in the foreseeable future seems to be a huge upgrade from my Tour. Will see what OS7 or QNX does in the public's eyes whenever that maybe. Androids and iOS is not an option for my needs, so basically I'm in the "wait and see what happens" approach.

I've had all three BB Bold models so naturally I'll be going for the Bold Touch but I've been fighting the urge to use my iPhone 4 as my full time phone rather than an iPod Touch 3G.

My day to day uses Of my phone are changing, with Facebook, Twitter & YouTube being key to my day to day needs. Not just using the apps but also accessing the full sites & between BB & iPhone there's no comparison, iPhone us WAY ahead Of BB & to be honest with all the apps available the Blackberry really has little over the iPhone in terms of features etc.

Push Email, great keyboard & notifications are the strongest points keeping me BB as my phone but to be fair ive had a Torch & was about 95% Touch screen user anyway. The iPhone amazes me every day with new things but my BlackBerry has me scratching my head sometimes.

I love my BB's but I just don't think they are keeping up with the time or setting any standards & when new devices come out they are hardly groundbreaking & offer minor upgrades to the phones they are replacing.

I don't plan on upgrading to one of the OS7 devices because they're a dead end. I would upgrade to a full screen QNX phone if they come out in 2012 and if they have competitive specs (dual-core processor, 1Gb RAM, resolution comparable to iPhone 4). Because I don't trust RIM to release a phone like that in 2012, I'll probably have to look elsewhere.

I am in the same boat as the OP. I have a 9780 that works well. But I am getting tired of using what feels like an antiquated OS. I also don't see the point of upgrading to OS7 if the QNX phones will be coming out as soon as RIM has "promised". At this point, to answer the original question as to what would be my next phone, I can honestly say that it might not be a blackberry - that depends on RIM's ability to perform and release a successful product. If not, I'll go elsewhere - just not to an Iphone. Will never do that.

I'm going to wait and confirm that there's no reports of keyboard hardware issues with the 9930 like there are for the 9780, and then I'll get one.

I tried the iPhone and Android; some things I really didn't like from my limited experience with them:
-Android: battery life
-Apple & Android: touchscreen keyboard (though at least they don't have the keyboard stutter like my 9780). Android does better than Apple on this because they have a great variety of keyboards that I used.
-Apple: the OS/interface feels toyish TO ME. And that it isn't customizable/skinnable like Android, or even themed like a BB, annoys me greatly. I get bored looking at the same interface and enjoy switching from time to time.
-Apple: I don't care how long your battery lasts; if I can't replace the battery when I need to it doesn't last long enough.
-Apple: proprietary chargers/connectors.
-Apple: iTunes - I despise that bloatware.

One day I finally realized that I mainly use my phone for web browsing (mostly mobile sites), email and messaging communications (with easy to setup customized LED notifications), reading Amazon Kindle e-books, Internet radio and Twitter. I didn't really use it for anything else. So I went back to my BlackBerry 9780. The only app I really miss that's not on BlackBerry is Netflix.

What I don't get is why the fanboys often insist that one platform (*cough iPhone cough*) is better than anything else. We each have individual needs and wants out of our phones, for me the BB just works better for MY needs. Just be happy that there's variety and competition and quit trying to show me your latest app [hint: I don't care] and trying to convince me why BB sucks eh?

Good post, you seem to have a lot of experience with the big three platforms. But you actually miss Netflix on your BB?

Netflix on smartphones is about the most useless app I can think of. Drains battery, wastes data to see a movie on a tiny screen where you lose of the artistry of a well made movie.

Netflix on a smartphone is more like a show off app, "Look, my phone can play movies!" Not practical, bc if I had enough spare time to watch a Netlfix movie, I would rather sit down by a TV, not stare at a tiny screen on a phone for 2 hours. But thats just me, to each his own.

Put it this way, if you had to type a 200 word email on a touchscreen only phone pressing glass or use a QWERTY keyboard, you don't honestly think carefully pressing glass would be as fast as thumbing keys, do you?

I make too many mistakes on virtual keyboards. Also I watch people type on them, they look soooo focused like they are doing surgery. Hold the phone in one hand, carefully use the index finger on the other hand to input each letter one by one.

Using the QWERTY keyboard, I often find myself using one hand hand and thumbing a message. Or if I want speed in a longer message, use both hands with two thumbs, soooo much faster, its not even close.

iPhone5 needs to take a page out of the EVO Shift, that is offer a slider keyboard and have the touch only model EVO! Otherwise its the same tired impractical design.

But consumers right now are brainwashed by not having QWERTY keyboards, as if they have some cutting edge tech. Virtual keyboards are too small on smartphones and its too slow to type on them. They are not bad on tablets though...

If I can chime in on the keyboard, I did like the Curve keyboard, but I was as fast typing on my SGS or iPhone as I was on my BB, regardless of portrait or landscape. And on top of that, I had the Desire Z which has a slide out keyboard, and I never used it. I used the virtual keyboard.

It's all preference.

I will happily type out a 200+ word email on a virtual keyboard. I fact, I have.

Its a black or white issue though, either you like typing on a touchscreen or you don't. I personally hate it.

Everyone is used to press keys since they first used a computer, typewriter or dumb phones. So no one has problems with that, but touching flat glass with no feel, well its not for everyone...

I think it is a practice deal? I haven't given touch screen kb's a true test run yet but anyone you talk to that loves touch screen says you have to teach yourself where to push and after a while it's as easy as on a bb kb. Don't know from experience just saying what I have been told!!